GREen Endeavor in Art ResToration (GREENART) is a European research project that aims to produce solutions for the conservation and protection of Cultural Heritage objects. The main objective of the project is the use of environmentally friendly and low impact materials that are sourced from recycled waste or renewable sources.
As GREENART focuses on raising awareness for the use of environmentally friendly materials in the conservation restoration practice, the project’s results will be publicly available and accessible to industry, scientific and art conservation communities, and the civil society.
The project is funded by the European Research Executive Agency, over a span of three years. 28 partners from all over the world are 
participating in the project consortium, including research laboratories from the University of West Attica in Athens, Greece. Each partner holds diverse background specializations, and through their collective experience and continuous collaboration, GREENART is in an excellent position to succeed and produce valuable results.
Project Title: GREENART – GREen ENdeavor in Art ResToration
Project Duration:
36 months (Start: 1 October 2022)
Project URL: www.greenart-project.eu
Project Framework & Funding:
HORIZON – CL2-2021-HERITAGE-01-01 EU Contribution: 3,826,282.50 Euro
Scientific coordinator (UNIWA):
Prof, Dr Athina – Georgia Alexopoulou
Consortium – Partners
Consorzio Interuniversitario Perlo Sviluppo Dei Sistemi A Grande Interfase (CSGI) -COORDINATOR
*Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (CNR) * Idryma Technologias kai Erevnas (FORTH) * University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (T-UCC) * Universita Ca’ Foscari Venezia (UNIVE) * Greendecision Srl (GD) * Univerza V Ljubljani (Ul) * Chalmers Tekniska Hogskola Ab (CUTt) * Mirabile Antonio (AM) * Zentrum Fur Bucherhaltung Gmbh (ZFB) * Stiftelsen Chalmers Industriteknik (CIT) * Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation (PGC) * Ministero Della Cultura (MIC) * Specific Polymers (SP) * Magyar Nemzeti Muzeum (HNM) Panepistimio Dytikis Attikis (UNIWA) * Bewarrant (BEW) * Warrant Hub Spa (WH) *Universitat Politecnica De Valencia (UPV) * Nouryon PULP AND PERFORMANCE * CHEMICALS AB (NOUR) * Stadt Leipzig (NML-LEIPZIG)
Museum Associate Dba Los Angeles * County Museum of Art (LACMA) * Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS) * Universidade Estadual De Campinas (UNICAMP) * Sichuan University (SCU) * Tokyo University of Science (UNI TOKYO) * Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd. (NIKKO) * The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) * The Board of Trustees of The Tate Gallery (TATE) * Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH).
Project results – overview
The GREENART project has made significant advancements in developing eco-friendly solutions for cultural heritage conservation. Efforts have focused on protective coatings derived from plant proteins and biodegradable materials, consolidants for fragile paper artifacts, and green cleaning gels and fluids to replace hazardous solvents. Key research has included monitoring sensors to track environmental impacts on cultural objects, with notable progress in selecting and testing materials for real-world application. Additionally, testing on bronze sculptures and historical paper samples has helped refine new protective coatings and conservation techniques. The project also organized a successful e-conference in July 2024, bringing together over 300 experts to discuss sustainable conservation methods.
Ongoing and future work includes further refinement of packaging materials and biodegradable foams for artifact storage, continued sensor testing, and public training events at Musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac and TATE Britain in 2025. GREENART researchers have presented their findings at international conferences, such as the 6th International Conference on Art Research & Technology (Oslo, 2024), showcasing innovative cleaning techniques for paper artifacts. The collaborative effort of 28 global partners, including the University of West Attica, has strengthened the project’s ability to produce impactful and sustainable conservation solutions. With European Research Executive Agency funding and an interdisciplinary approach, GREENART is positioned to revolutionize conservation practices while minimizing environmental impact.
Research Publications
- “Archaeometry beyond analysis: Interpretive Approaches” (Accepted, pending publication in AURA Journal).
- Presentation at the 8th Symposium of the Hellenic Archaeometric Society: “Non Destructive Testing (NDT) methods for the evaluation of new green materials for artwork conservation” by A. Alexopoulou (Athens, 17-20 October 2023).
- Poster presentation at the 6th International Conference on Art Research & Technology: “Varnish removal from works of art on paper, a controversial matter. Recent reflections on the materials and methodology used for the treatment of the varnish layer” (Oslo, 4-7 June 2024).
- Organization of the Online Conference “Green materials for Conservation in Cultural Heritage” by UNIWA team on 15 July 2024. Presentation: “GREENART new materials evaluation methodology” by A. Alexopoulou.
- Participation in the 4th International Conference TMM-CH (7-9 April 2025) with the presentation and submitted article: “Eco-friendly materials in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Assessment of green gels and fluids for cleaning surfaces of cultural heritage objects” (Athina Georgia Alexopoulou, Agathi Anthoula Kaminari, Konstantinos Choulis, Stamatina Theochari, Efthymia Kiskira, Evangelia Panou, Georgios Mastrotheodoros, Charis Theodorakopoulos, Marina Paraskevi Dimaki, Athanasios Karabotsos, Penelope Banou).
- Participation in the public training of GREENART at Musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac (10-11 April 2025) with the presentation “Proposal of user-friendly methodologies for the evaluation of green materials” by A. Alexopoulou.
- Participation in the public training of GREENART at TATE Britain (20 May 2025) with the presentation “Assessing Gels for Varnish Removal on Works of Art on Paper” by A. Alexopoulou & P. Banou.
